Sanitary equipment



y 1968 E. J. BUCKHOLZ ETAL 3,384,224

SAN I TARY EQUI PMENT Filed July 13, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FRED 5. LEE

INVENTORS E. J. BUCKHOLZ ETAL. 3,384,224

May 21, 1968 SANITARY EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 13, 1966 594 5571 Back/90L z FRED 5. LEE

INVENTORS Int/(261m United States Patent 3,384,224 SANITARY EQUIPMENT Ernest J. Bucltholz, 44 Miller St., Mount Clements, Mich. 48043, and Fred S. Lee, 38325 W. 14 Mile Road, Walled Lake, Mich. 48088 Filed July 13, 1966, Ser. No. 564,841 5 Claims. (Cl. 206-57) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carrying case type box adapted for use such as a secondary container for primary containers of the type having length, width and depth and from which disposable tissues are dispensed through an opening at the top thereof, the box comprising bottom, side and end walls, a top wall, a carrying handle disposed along one center line of the top wall and a shelf within the box parallel to the top wall, the shelf dividing the box into an upper chamber of sufiicient dimensions to store a plurality of the primary containers and a lower chamber of sufiicient dimensions to initially store a plurality of additional primary containers and to thereafter use the same as a receptacle for disposing of used tissues from all of the primary containers, the box being formed by folding and interlocking a plurality of pre-cut and creased blanks.

This invention relates to sanitary equipment, and more particularly to a disposable secondary container constructed by folding and interlocking a plurality of blanks formed from cardboard or other similar material in a manner to provide a container having a handle, a shelf extending across the upper portion of the secondary container for holding a pair of primary containers containing disposable tissues and a storage space below the shelf for initially storing a plurality of additional primary containers containing disposable tissues, the secondary container being easily openable to enable removal of the primary containers stored below the shelf, thereby providing a substantial receptacle adapted for receiving used tissues through an opening in a wall of the secondary container below the shelf.

The real problem to which this invention is directed relates to the use of towels by high school and other athletic teams. Consider, for example, a high school basketball game. The home team is usually responsible for providing towels for both teams, and it is the practice, when a time-out is called, for the student managers to carry out a towel for use by the entire team, the towel being passed around for purposes of wiping off perspiration, etc. Athletes, like anyone else, object to using a towel after it has been used by others. It is, in fact, extremely unsanitary, particularly in view of the fact that one or more of the athletes may find it necessary to clear his nose or throat. This is repeated with a clean towel each time that a timeout is called, and whenever players return to the players bench by reason of a substitution.

At some schools, it may be the practice to supply each player with a new towel during each time-out. In that case, there is always the probability that the individual towels will get mixed up so that any particular athlete ends up sometime during the course of the contest using some other players towel. At any rate, it is obvious that a considerable number of towels become soiled during any particular contest. Furthermore, there is the problem of colice lecting the used towels and laundering them, in addition to the initial cost of the towels.

These extremely unsanitary conditions are magnified in athletic contests involving a greater number of athletes, such as football games. In fact, this problem of towels and the unsanitary conditions relating thereto is repeated over and over throughout the school year in all junior high schools, senior high schools, colleges and universities and professional sports throughout the country. This invention is intended to solve this very real and serious unsanitary condition which has existed too long.

There are on the market today so-called king size disposable paper towels packaged in paper box containers having a perforated portion at the top that is removable so that the interfolded individual towels can be removed in the manner of Kleenex tissues. The invention contemplates a secondary container, preferably constructed by folding a blank formed from cardboard or other similar material so as to provide a convenient, disposable, suitcase-like box having a carrying handle, a top comprising a pair of flaps that can be opened and closed and interlocked with the handle, a pair of shelves extending across the box and formed integral with the handle so as to provide two compartments at the top of the box, each compartment being of a size to receive one of the primary containers in which the paper towels are sold and each top flap having a removable perforated portion located in a manner so that the openin resultin from removal of the perforated portion is aligned with the removable perforated portion in the primary container, thereby providing access to the paper towels. The space in the secondary container is designed to store a plurality of additional primary containers when the secondary container is sold, and one wall of the secondary container is formed with a perforated removable portion for access to the space below the shelves.

In preparing the secondary container for use, the covers are easily opened and the shelves and integral handles removed in order that the stored primary containers in the lower compartment can be removed to provide a receptacle for used towels. The secondary container is then re-assembled with one of the primary containers replaced back on each shelf and all of the access opening can be formed by removing the perforated portions.

Such a device being available, the home team can merely supply its own student manager, and the student manager of the opposing team, with one of these convenient suitcase-like secondary containers having two of the primary containers already in place on the shelves. Whenever towels are required, the student managers can merely carry the box out to the team, set it on the floor and let the team members pull out, use and dispose of their own towels. If all the paper towels in the two primary containers stored on the shelves are used up, the student managers can merely open the top and insert new full primary containers, the storage space below the shelves being of sufiicient capacity to easily receive as many used towels as there were in the plurality of primary containers that were initially stored in the box.

No cloth towels need be purchased, handled or laundered. Each athlete has available as many clean, individual, inexpensive paper towels as he requires. Unsanitary conditions are entirely eliminated, and when the used towel receptacle is full the entire carrying case can simply be incinerated.

Accordingly, a main object of the invention is to provide a convenient, easily portable, sanitary, disposable system and apparatus for storing, dispensing and disposing of individual paper towels for athletes and any other persons that have use for the same. For example, such an apparatus may be used in hospitals, in the home, by families on picnics or on pleasure boats, and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a device that can be easily made and assembled, either prior to or after sale, and easily opened and closed during use.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a secondary container wherein the entire construction is by folding and interlocking flaps of cut-out blanks and wherein a sturdier double thickness handle portion is formed integrally with the shelf portions, which in turn are interlocked with the remainder of the container so as to provide a unitary structure that is self-supporting and cannot in any way come apart inadvertently when carried or used.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a secondary container that can be completely assembled into a relatively rigid structure with but one joint required to be fastened or sealed by means such as adhesive tape and requiring no other fastening means such as heavyduty staples and the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a secondary container that can be initially assembled to contain a plurality of primary containers or boxes of disposable paper towels, with at least a pair of such primary containers being stored on the internal shelves and the remainder thereof being initially stored in the space below the shelves and later removed to enable the space below the shelves to be used as a receptacle for used towels, the removed primary containers being stored else where until required to replaw the containers on the shelves from which all the towels have been used.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawings wherein,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a prior art primary paper container in which interfolded king size paper towels are sold;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a secondary container such as that described above and embodying the invention, ready for use, the dot-dash lines representing the two primary containers in place on the shelves;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a cardboard blank from which the main portion of the secondary container shown by FIGURE 2 is made;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of one of the two identical blanks from which one of the shelves with an integral handle portion may be formed;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are perspective views of the blanks shown by FIGURES 3 and 4, respectively, in partially folded positions to more clearly illustrate the manner in which the secondary container shown by FIGURE 2 is formed by folding and interlocking so as to be retained in a substantially rigid condition without the use of any fastening devices other than a single strip of adhesive tape along one edge;

FIGURE 6a is a fragmentary portion of FIGURE 6 illustrating a modification of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary portion of FIG- URE 2 to illustrate the details of construction thereof more clearly.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, wherein the same reference numerals are applied to common structural elements, FIGURE 1 illustrates what has been referred to above as a primary container it! of the type and size in which a stack of paper towels 12 are interfolded. Such towels are inexpensive and readily available on the market, and they are of such substantial size as to be suitable for use by athletes and the like, it being contemplated that these towels are preferably of the type that are larger than the ordinary so-called Kleenex tissues. It is these type of towels still in their original primary containers it), that are to be stored in, dispensed 4 from and disposed within the secondary container 14 shown by FIGURE 2.

It will be seen that the container 14 embodying the invention comprises a bottom 16, two sides 18, two ends 2%, two fiaps 22 attached to the sides 18 and opening from the center to form a top 24 and a more substantial double layer handle 26. It will be seen further that in the preferred embodiment shown, the secondary portable container 14 is as long internally as the length of the primary container 10, shown in FIGURE 1, at least as wide internally on each side of the handle 26, and thus twice as wide at the bottom portion 28 thereof, as the width of the container shown by FIGURE 1 and at least as thick between the shelf 3i; and the top 22 thereof as the thickness of the primary container shown in FIG- URE l. The depth of the space below the shelves 30 is preferably some multiple of the thickness of the box shown in FIGURE 1.

Each top flap 22 is formed with a removable perforated portion 32 preferably having substantially the same shape and dimensions as the removable perforated portion 34 of the box it In other words, a typical secondary portable container 14, as supplied to the user, could initially store six boxes of paper towels it one on each shelf 30 and four in the compartment 36 below the shelves 30. It should be noted that the shelves 3%? are actually formed from two identical blanks 38 each having an integral handle portion 40. Alternatively, the blanks 38 could be joined at the handle portions 40 to provide a single blank.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, the main blank, on which dotted lines represent perforated portions to be removed and dot-dash lines represent folding creases, has two identical side panels 18, two end panels 20, portions 42, 44 and 46 to be folded and interlocked in a manner well known to persons skilled in the art to form the bottom 16 of the secondary container, after the ends 20 and sides 18 are folded and joined at the edges 48 by a suitable adhesive strip 50.

Extending from the other side of the side panels 18 are panels or tabs 22 to be folded downwardly, the free edge portion 54 of the top panels 22 having a fold crease enabling the same to be turned downwardly into the box and a cut portion 56 at the center thereof leaving horizontally extending tabs 58 for a purpose to be described. The same side of each end panel 20 is provided with a pair of identical tabs 6%, the free ends 62 of which are to be folded against their respective tabs 60 and each folded tab 60 is to be folded downwardly against the inner end of each end panel 20 The circular opening 64 at the fold of each tab fill is provided to assist folding and subsequently unfolding the container 14 when boxes of towels '10 stored below the shelves 30 must be removed. FIGURE 5 illustrates the blank of FIGURE 3 in partially folded condition, particularly to illustrate the manner in which ends 62 are first folded against the tabs 69 so that the tabs 459 can ultimately be folded against the inner surfaces of the box ends 20 for a purpose to be explained.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of one of two identical blanks 33 from which the integral shelves and handle portions 68 are formed, the dot-dash lines being the folding creases. Each blank 38 includes a portion 3t) which is as long and as wide as the primary towel container 10 shown by FIGURE 1 and which forms the bottom of each of the two shelves. The adjacent portions '72 form the sides of the shelf, and they are as wide as the box 10 shown by FIGURE 1 is thick. Extending from each end of the side portions 72 is a tab '74 adapted to be folded inwardly toward the end of the bottom portion 30, into the same plane at right angles to the side portions 72, the side portions 7'2 being folded upwardly at right angles to the bottom portion 30. One of the side portions 72 on each blank 38 has a handle portion it; continuous therewith, the handle portion having an opening 76 for carrying purposes.

It will be noted from FIGURE 6, which shows two blanks 38 in the folded condition, that the tabs 74 provide a substantially rectangular slot 78, and that the opening 76 in the handle portion 40 has slots 80 at the ends thereof having approximately the same width as the thickness of the material from which the blank 17 is formed. It can be visualized that when two of the blanks 38 shown by FIGURE 3 are folded as shown in FIG- URE 6 and placed so that the sides having the handle portion 40 are in engagement that a sub-assembly 82 having a double thickness handle with a shelf on each side thereof is formed.

The sub-assembly 82 can then be inserted into the box or secondary container 14 formed by the folding of the main blank 17, as shown in FIGURE 5, but with the tabs 60 and the top flaps 22 open. The tabs 60 extending from the top of the ends 20 can then be folded downwardly into the shelf portions so that the reverse folded free ends fit into the rectangular slots 78. This provides an interlocked assembly, preventing the folded shelf and handle sub-assemblies 82 from being pulled out of the con-' tainer 14.

Previous to this interlocking of the sub-assembly 82 into the container 14, the compartment below the shelf would have been loaded with an even number of the primary tissue containing boxes 10 shown by FIGURE 1. After assembly of the shelves, one towel containing box 10 would be placed on each of the shelves 30 on each side of the handle. The cover flaps 22 would then be folded downwardly so as to enclose the top of the container 14, with the end portion 54 of each top flap 22 inserted between the adjacent handle portion 40 and the paper towel containing box 10. The top flaps 22 are retained in position by the horizontally extending tabs 58 fitting into the slots 80 at the bottom of the openings 76 in the handle portions 40'.

The secondary container comprising the invention may be assembled and sold in this condition, complete with six or more towel containing boxes 10 stored therein. Alternatively, the fiat blanks 17 and 38 and any number of towel containers 10 may be sold for assembly by the purchaser. As already stated, the paper towel dispensing and disposal device 14 may be made ready for use by a reverse disassembly so as to remove the paper towel containers 10 below the shelves 30 for storage elsewhere until needed, the box 14 then being reassembled with a paper towel container 10 on each shelf 30'. The perforated portions 32 at the top for dispensing of towels and the perforated portion 84 at the end for disposal of towels can be removed and the container 14 is ready for use.

If desired, the paper towels can be removed in their stacked interfolded condition from their original container 10 shown by FIGURE 1 and merely placed on the shelves 30. Also, the blanks 17 and 38 can be formed in a similar manner, but of such proportion to allow placement of the well-known roll of paper towels, perforated into sheets (not shown), on each of the shelves 30, with an appropriate slot in each cover portion through which the rolled towel can be pulled and torn off as needed.

The construction providing a plurality of shelves increases the number of clean towels available before reloading the shelves with new primary containers (or rolls of towels) is required, and it permits the integral handle to be located along the center of the top of the secondary container without interfering with such reloading or dispensing of the towels.

In summary, it will apparent that the invention provides a convenient, extremely durable, portable and disposable carrying-case type container with space for storing a plurality of primary containers and thereafter dispensing clean paper towels therefrom and for disposing of a great number of used towels, the secondary container being of a completely folded construction and requiring only one adhesive joint. Durability is particularly important because of the rough handling received by athletic equipment.

Use of the invention eliminates the need for the usual cloth towels for the purposes described, as well as the laundering and other handling thereof. Each individual can use his own clean towel and need not be subjected to the unsanitary condition of having to use a towel already used by someone else. Leaving the paper towels in their original containers prevents intermediate handling by someone other than the ultimate user, and it eliminates the possibility of the interfolded towels becoming separated as they are prone to do when removed from their original container. The portable, light-weight, inexpensive secondary container can be easily reloaded with clean towels a number of times before the disposal chamber, which has a capacity equal to a number of the primary containers, becomes filled, at which time it can be incinerated completely, there being no metal staples or other such fasteners.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed and described in such clear and concise terms as to enable anyone skilled in the art to practice the same. Other embodiments or modifications, such as forming the blanks 38 as a single blank, joined at the handle portions 40, as shown at 41 in FIGURE 6a, may be possible, and no limitations are intended except as recited in the following claims.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A carrying case type box adapted for use such as a secondary container for primary containers of the type having length, width and depth and from which disposable tissues are dispensed through an opening at the top thereof, said box comprising bottom, side and end walls, a top wall, a carrying handle disposed along one center line of said top wall and a shelf within said box parallel to said top wall, said shelf dividing said box into an upper chamber of sufficient dimensions to store a plurality of the primary containers and a lower chamber of sufiicient dimensions to initially store a plurality of additional primary containers and to thereafter use the same as a receptable for disposing of used tissues from all of the primary containers, said box being formed by folding and interlocking a plurality of pre-cut and creased blanks, said blanks being constructed so that said box when assembled requires separate fastening means only along one edge thereof, one of said blanks including joined, foldable portions forming said bottom, ends, sides and top of said box and the other of said blanks including joined, foldable portions forming said shelf and said handle, said handle being of double thickness and said blanks each having cooperating interlocking tabs securing said integral shelf and handle in place for carrying without closing said top.

2. A carrying case type box such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said shelf and handle comprise a separate sub-assembly insertable into said box when said top is open, and having foldable tabs thereon cooperating to secure said sub-assembly in said box without the use of separate fastening means, whereby said box may be carried thereby with said top open.

3. A carrying case type box such as that recited in claim 2, wherein said top and said handle are formed with cooperating means for retaining the same in assembled relation.

4. A carrying case type box adapted for use as a secondary container for primary containers of the type having length, width and depth and from which disposable tissues are dispensed through an opening at the top thereof, said box comprising bottom, side and end walls, a top wall, a carrying handle disposed along one center line of said top wall and a shelf within said box parallel to said top wall, said shelf dividing said box into an upper chamber of sufiicient dimensions to store a plurality of the primary containers and a lower chamber of sufiicient dimension to initially store a plurality of additional primary containers and to thereafter use the same as a receptable for disposing of used tissues from all of the primary containers, said top Wall comprising a pair of flaps, each of said flaps being attached to one of the top edges of said box parallel to said handle and foldable so that the free edge thereof is adjacent said handle, and said shelf comprising a pair of shelves, one on each side of said handle, whereby said flaps may be opened separately so as to permit replenishing of said shelves with full primary containers of disposable tissues, each of said flaps having openings therein registering with the openings in the primary containers for dispensing the tissues.

8 5. A carrying case type box such as that recited in claim 4, said box having primary containers of tissues stored therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,981,187 11/1934 Nuckols 229l5 2,330,347 9/1943 Elliott 20646 X 2,566,016 8/1951 Cochran 229-l5 10 MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner.

THERON E. CONDON, Examiner. 

